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Lone Star ticks in Georgia

Yes. Lone Star ticks live in Georgia.

Lone Star ticks are Georgia's most common tick, and CDC lists them as established in 60 of the state's 159 counties.

Peak season
March – OctoberSource: Georgia Department of Public Health (opens in a new tab)
What to do
Use repellent outdoors and check yourself, your kids and your pets for ticks when you come in.
Where ticks wait
  • Wooded areas and shaded trail edges
  • Tall grass, brush, and overgrown fields
  • Leaf litter and ground cover
  • Shaded borders where lawns meet woods
Who should take extra care

Hikers and campers, hunters, pet owners, gardeners and yard workers, golfers, and parents of young children.

Named counties

Each rating gives its source. “Alpha-gal hotspot” is kept for the counties CDC names for their number or rate of suspected cases. Ticks vary within every county.

If you find one on you

Take it out with fine-tipped tweezers, pulling straight up, and write down the date. The step-by-step guide tells you what to watch for, and for how long.

What to do after a biteIdentify the tick

How to avoid bites in Georgia

  • Use EPA-registered repellent (DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus)
  • Treat clothing and gear with permethrin
  • Wear long sleeves and tuck pants into socks in brushy areas
  • Stay on cleared trails and avoid tall grass and leaf litter
  • Shower within two hours of coming indoors
  • Do daily tick checks on people and pets during the season
The full prevention guide

Find your county

Each of Georgia’s 159 counties has its own page with CDC’s record for it, a map of the counties around it, and season and prevention notes.

Browse all 159 counties
Appling CountyAtkinson CountyBacon CountyBaker CountyBaldwin CountyBanks CountyBarrow CountyBartow CountyBen Hill CountyBerrien CountyBibb CountyBleckley CountyBrantley CountyBrooks CountyBryan CountyBulloch CountyBurke CountyButts CountyCalhoun CountyCamden CountyCandler CountyCarroll CountyCatoosa CountyCharlton CountyChatham CountyChattahoochee CountyChattooga CountyCherokee CountyClarke CountyClay CountyClayton CountyClinch CountyCobb CountyCoffee CountyColquitt CountyColumbia CountyCook CountyCoweta CountyCrawford CountyCrisp CountyDade CountyDawson CountyDecatur CountyDeKalb CountyDodge CountyDooly CountyDougherty CountyDouglas CountyEarly CountyEchols CountyEffingham CountyElbert CountyEmanuel CountyEvans CountyFannin CountyFayette CountyFloyd CountyForsyth CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGilmer CountyGlascock CountyGlynn CountyGordon CountyGrady CountyGreene CountyGwinnett CountyHabersham CountyHall CountyHancock CountyHaralson CountyHarris CountyHart CountyHeard CountyHenry CountyHouston CountyIrwin CountyJackson CountyJasper CountyJeff Davis CountyJefferson CountyJenkins CountyJohnson CountyJones CountyLamar CountyLanier CountyLaurens CountyLee CountyLiberty CountyLincoln CountyLong CountyLowndes CountyLumpkin CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMarion CountyMcDuffie CountyMcIntosh CountyMeriwether CountyMiller CountyMitchell CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMorgan CountyMurray CountyMuscogee CountyNewton CountyOconee CountyOglethorpe CountyPaulding CountyPeach CountyPickens CountyPierce CountyPike CountyPolk CountyPulaski CountyPutnam CountyQuitman CountyRabun CountyRandolph CountyRichmond CountyRockdale CountySchley CountyScreven CountySeminole CountySpalding CountyStephens CountyStewart CountySumter CountyTalbot CountyTaliaferro CountyTattnall CountyTaylor CountyTelfair CountyTerrell CountyThomas CountyTift CountyToombs CountyTowns CountyTreutlen CountyTroup CountyTurner CountyTwiggs CountyUnion CountyUpson CountyWalker CountyWalton CountyWare CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWebster CountyWheeler CountyWhite CountyWhitfield CountyWilcox CountyWilkes CountyWilkinson CountyWorth County

Loading counties…

Fig. 1. Georgia’s 159 counties, by CDC’s 2025 record. Click one to open its page.
  • Established60
  • Reported59
  • No records40

Common questions

Are there Lone Star ticks in Georgia?

Yes. Lone Star ticks are Georgia's most common tick, and CDC lists them as established in 60 of the state's 159 counties. Georgia's health department lists alpha-gal syndrome among the tick illnesses it is watching, though few cases are reported to the state. Outdoor workers, hunters and homeowners should take care during the long tick season.

When is tick season in Georgia?

Lone Star ticks in Georgia are most active from March to October. They can still bite outside those months on warm days.

Can I get alpha-gal syndrome from a tick bite in Georgia?

It's possible. Alpha-gal syndrome is a delayed allergy to red meat linked to Lone Star tick bites, and those ticks live in Georgia. Most bites do not cause it. If you get hives, swelling or stomach pain 2 to 6 hours after eating red meat, see a doctor.

What should I do after a tick bite in Georgia?

Take the tick out with fine-tipped tweezers, pulling straight up. Wash the bite, keep the tick or a photo of it, and write down the date. Watch for symptoms for the next few weeks. See a doctor if you get a rash, a fever, feel very tired, or react to food.

How do I get a tick identified in Georgia?

Seal the tick in a bag with a damp paper towel and take a clear photo. Your state health department or a university extension program may be able to name it or test it.

Where this comes from10 sources · Last reviewed June 2, 2026Show
  1. 1.
    Where Ticks Live (opens in a new tab) · CDC

    The Lone Star tick is widely distributed in the Northeast, South, and Midwest U.S.

  2. 2.
    Lone Star Tick Surveillance (opens in a new tab) · CDC

    County-level established vs. reported records. 'Established' = 6+ ticks or multiple life stages collected in 12 months.

  3. 3.
    Alpha-gal Syndrome (opens in a new tab) · CDC

    What alpha-gal syndrome is, symptoms, and its association with tick bites.

  4. 4.
    Geographic Distribution of Suspected Alpha-gal Syndrome Cases — U.S., 2017–2022 (MMWR) (opens in a new tab) · CDC / MMWR

    Highest suspected-AGS prevalence across a contiguous southern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic region; most cases align with the established Lone Star tick range.

  5. 5.
    Current and Future Distribution of the Lone Star Tick in North America (opens in a new tab) · Raghavan et al., PLOS ONE (2019)

    Ecological niche modeling of Amblyomma americanum range and projected northward expansion.

  6. 6.
    Preventing Tick Bites (opens in a new tab) · CDC
  7. 7.
    Find the Repellent That Is Right for You (opens in a new tab) · EPA

    Search tool for EPA-registered repellents (DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus).

  8. 8.
    Lone Star Tick Surveillance Map Data, 2025 (county status) (opens in a new tab) · CDC

    Every county's status: Established (6 or more ticks, or more than one life stage, found in a year), Reported (fewer), or No records. Linked from CDC's Lone Star Tick Surveillance page.

  9. 9.
    Tick-borne Diseases (opens in a new tab) · Georgia Department of Public Health

    Tick-borne illnesses are most often transmitted between early spring and late fall. Alpha-gal syndrome is among emerging tickborne diseases DPH is watching, though cases are rarely reported in Georgia.

  10. 10.
    Summertime Is Tick Time in Georgia (opens in a new tab) · University of Georgia CAES

    Georgia's lone star tick is the state's most common tick.

Educational information only, not medical advice. If someone is struggling to breathe or having a severe reaction, call 911. Read the disclaimer.

Printed from lonestarmap.com/states/georgia. Check the page for the latest version.